Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes, Co-Owners, Open Road Shaved Ice, Dallas, Texas
Rolling through the shimmering heat of a Dallas summer, Open Road Shaved Ice is an oasis for people in search of a refreshing natural treat.
Not to be confused with snow cones — the dense, syrupy favorite at concession stands — shaved ice is light and fluffy. Open’s Road’s co-owners, Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes, elevate the simple concept with inventive flavors like Mango & Chile Limon, Mango & Tajin Seasoning with Lime, and Blueberry & Basil, garnishing them with fresh fruit, citrus, berries or flowers and the occasional kid-pleasing peach-flavored gummie candy atop Texas Peaches & Sweet Cream.
Equally distinctive is Open Road’s eye-catching van with an outdoorsy scene of arid brown peaks and bright blue Texas sky, a mobile backdrop that takes customers’ minds off the sweltering city streets, if only for a moment. Open Road creates each serving with fresh shavings off a large block of ice then smothers it in hand-crafted fruit syrups made with a flavor from The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, cane sugar and water — ensuring a flavorful treat without high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavorings.
Its sister concept, Bar Cart Texas, is a mobile bar in a 1961 travel trailer that caters events throughout Texas and uses The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley in its cocktails. But, Caroline says, the purées get the best response in shaved ice. “People go nuts over it,” she says. “Being able to break away from the original ‘sugar bombs’ associated with shaved ice has been huge for us and the flavors are perfect for creating a natural cold treat in our Texas heat.”
Along with The Perfect Purée Mango Puree, White Peach Puree, Strawberry Puree and Blueberry Puree, Caroline uses the Prickly Pear Puree and Coconut Puree in a shout-out to cactus country. “It’s not a huge seller but being from Texas we HAD to include prickly pear in something!” Caroline says.
Open Road Shaved Ice is the perfect complement to Miley and Caroline’s marquee concept — Easy Slider Food Truck. Since it hit the road in 2011, Big D’s first and only gourmet mini-burger truck has charmed Texas appetites so much it’s been named the “Best Food Truck in Dallas” by D Magazine, the Dallas Observer and the Dallas Voice. In 2014, Zagat rated its bacon, goat cheese and strawberry jam slider among “The Top 10 Burgers in Dallas.” Easy Slider has also been counted among the “21 Best Food Trucks in America” by Thrillist and the “101 Best Food Trucks in America” by The Daily Meal.
With those accolades, an established brand and a loyal following, Easy Slider expanded in early 2017 to a storefront in the artsy Deep Ellum district. Along with Open Road Shaved Ice, the Easy Slider truck still plies the streets as one of the city’s most popular mobile purveyors of upscale fast food.